Westward Cask Strength

With our Milk and Honey/Westward collaboration as the Malt of the Month for September, we thought it a perfect opportunity to introduce Westward Single Malt Whisky to our members…and we don’t know a better way to get to the heart of a distilleries product than to try a cask strength bottling…which is exactly what we’ve done – Welcome to the Westward Cask Strength!

As the name suggests, this is the Cask Strength release of Westward’s flagship ‘Original’ single malt whiskey. Distilled from a locally grown and malted barley mash, fermented using a craft ale yeast. Double pot-distilled and then matured in heavily-toasted, lightly-charred virgin American oak casks.

This whiskey is bottled at a not to be taken lightly cask strength (125 proof) abv of 62.5%, reflecting the skillful finesse of the talented team of brewers-turned-distillers and the bounty of the American Northwest. Cask Strength accentuates the rich, locally malted barley, the flavourful beer created in-house, and the newly charred American Oak barrels matured to perfection in Oregon, the ideal environment to raise a world-class whiskey.

Now this ain’t the SMWC’s first rodeo with an American single malt whiskey. As you know, we ain’t skeered to drink whisky what comes from places the ‘purists’ say we shouldn’t… AND we sure ain’t ‘fraid none to drink whisky with an ‘e’ in it, neither! And this month we’re happy to don a Stetson, slide into some snake-skin boots and proudly exclaim we’re not drinking bourbon… but American Single Malt Whiskey!

Now Westward are a relatively small affair in the land of the ‘super-size-me’. What this 20-year-old distillery does have though, is more than 50 years of distilling experience shared between the members of their whiskey making team. Former brewers, Michelin-trained chefs, and winemakers all working together, and whose passions and knowledge combine to push the boundaries of traditional whisky making.
Westward have three main tenants to their whiskey.

It is

• BREWED LIKE A CRAFT ALE. They begin by brewing an artisanal American Ale from scratch using locally malted barely, ale yeast and a low temperature fermentation.
• DISTILLED LIKE A SINGLE MALT. Westward double distill in custom low-reflux pot stills designed to create a robust spirit, transforming their fresh, flavourful ale into whiskey.
• AGED LIKE BOURBON. Matured to perfection in new, heavily toasted and lightly charred virgin American Oak barrels selected to accentuate the bold characteristics of our whiskey.

Nose: A musty petrichor note sits over the top of more of the same jammy notes the M&H had on it’s nose. A real meeting of earth and fruit, with just a slight suggestion of smoke there.

Palate: Lovely slippery mouthfeel but what is immediately and astoundingly apparent is the incredible integration of the alcohol here. I hate this word – but it’s the epitome of smooth! There’re fruit flavours here for sure – but for me sweet, unburnt tobacco is the major player in this whiskies flavour profile. Tastes like a Montecristo cigar smells as you crack the tube – but with a demerara sugar sweetness sitting over the top. Deep, rich and immensely satisfying.

Finish: I’m in completely in LOVE with the earthy, leafy finish this whisky presents. It’s big and chewy – in fact it’s one of the chewiest non-peated whiskies Ive had recently. There’s also an almost savoury umami-ness, contrary – but somehow also complimentary – to the sweet tobacco flavours.

This is a superbly rich and complex whisky for sure. The unburnt tobacco notes – that present all throughout this whisky – really bolster it’s huge and immensely satisfying flavour profile … but does so without making it formidable on the palate. There’s just no harshness at all in this 62.5% whopper of a whisky.

This is our flagship whiskey, our single malt that’s aged in charred, new American Oak. Just want to talk a little bit about that. This is, you know, whiskey that’s made right here on site from Pacific Northwest Grown barley. It’s really bright, rich, robust whiskey, full of stone fruit, tropical fruit and honey notes, finish of tobacco, leather, even a little bit of baking spice as well.

Unfettered, upstanding, and uncut, this whiskey reflects the robust flavors built in every step of our long, deliberate process.

This whiskey is bottled at cask strength (125 proof), reflecting the skillful finesse of our talented team of brewers-turned-distillers and the bounty of the American Northwest. Cask Strength accentuates our rich, locally malted barley, the flavourful beer created in-house, and the newly charred American Oak barrels matured to perfection in Oregon, the ideal environment to raise a world-class whiskey.

• Aroma: Toasted sesame, shortbread, caramelized sugar
• Palate: Graham cracker, black pepper, cacao
• Finish: Baking spice, caramel, tobacco